Means for separating valuable minerals



Dec. 5, 1933. w MCADOO 1,938,037

MEANS FOR SEPARATING VALUABLE MINERALS Filed June 16, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuentozr WILL/HM 17 MWmo W. D. M ADOO MEANS FOR SEPARATING VALUABLE MINERALS Dec. 5, 1933.

Filed June 16, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 wmx 211402 n 01 WILLIHM D. 07%

Dec. 5, 1933. w. D. M ADOO MEANS FOR SEPARATING VALUABLE MINERALS Filed June 16, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwuemto'o WILL/HM B M HMO Dec. 5, 1933. w. D. M04000 1,933,037

MEANS FOR SEPARATING VALUABLE MINERALS Filed June 16, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet Juwwtoz:

lV/LL/AM D M54000 Patented Dec. 5, 1933 I V i MEANS FOR SEPARATING VALUABLE MINERALS William D. McAdoo, Troy, N. 0., assignor of onetenth to Ernest J. Schabelitz, Hendersonville,

N.,C. I

Application June16, 1932. Serial No; 617,628 11 Claims. (Cl. 209437) This invention relates to a method and means Some of the objects of the inventionv having wherein mechanical and chemical means are embeen stated, the invention will be more fully unployed for separating heavy ,minerals, gems and derstood when taken in connection with the ac-' other materials from the natural material in companying drawings, in which'- fi which they are found without a great deal of Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine; 60.

exertion and with very little power being used, Figure 2 is an end view of an enlarged scale An object of this invention is toprovide a detaken along the line 2-'-2 in Figure 1;

vice thru which soil, crushed stone, or any other Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view earthen material may be passed for recovering taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 2;

1Q therefrom gems, certain types of sand, gold, and Figure 4 is other minerals which are heavier and have a taken along the'line 4-4 in Figure 3.; specific gravity greater than the natural soil or Figure 5 is a plan view of the machine; stones in which they are found after the stones Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view have been reduced to pulverized form. taken along the line 66 in Figures 5 and '7;

an enlarged vertical sectional. View 65 5- In placer mining, heretofore employed in many Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken 70 different forms it has been customary to direct along the line '7-'7-in Figure 1;

soil. or crushed stone, together with a large Figures is an enlarged detail view taken along quantity of water, over amalgamated plates for the line 8--8 in Figure 6; recovering therefrom gold which hasnecessitated Figure 9 is a right hand end view of Figure 1;

20 the large amount of water. Also in sluice mining it has been customary to throw a largequan along the line l0-10 in Figure 9. tity of water onto loosened soil or onto a hill- Referring more specifically to the drawings, the side to wash the soil over a plurality of sluice framework of the machine is composedof longiboxes for the purpose of recovering from said tudinally disposed base members 10 and 11 se- 25 sluice boxes, gold, gems and other materials cured together at their ends by means of end so. which are heavier thanthe water or thematemembers 1111 and 12. The apparatus may be rials in which they are found in nature.' 'mounted by any suitable means .such as wheels 'It is an object of this invention to provide a 16 and 13 as shown inFigurc 1, it being undermechanism wherein the natural soil or sand or' stood that similar wheels will be disposed on the 30 crushed stone or the like, ispassed thru a deother side of the machine as the wheels 16 will be 85 vice which has means therein for aiding in the in pairs and wheels 13 in pairs mounted on suitpassage of the material andhaving meansfor able bearings 14 and 15 so that the apparatus imparting a rocking motion to said device toaid may be transported from place to place or moved in the passage'therethrough of the material over the location being treated so themachine 35 andpassing with the material water, recovering may be, moved along as desired. If desired, the 90, the water at the discharge end of the device and 7 wheels may be disposed with and suitable blocks using the water over and over again in conjuncused for giving the desired'angle of inclination tion with new materials as such material is be-' to the machine, Also the pair of wheels 15 may ing passedthru the machine in combination with be interchanged with pair of wheels 16 to retard 49. means associated with the discharge end of the flow of the material through the machine. 95, machine whereby an emulsion and the like can The top of the framework is composed of longibe formed so as to cause microscopic or free gold, tudinal members 17 and 18 joined together by or other minerals or oils or sand to float on top means of cross pieces 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 and of the surface of the water at the discharge end similar cross pieces 20a, 21a, 22a and 23a are pro- 4,5, of the device'with means for wiping" the foam vided between the two longitudinally disposed 100- and the like from the top of the water at the disbase members 10 and 11. A longitudinally discharge end of the box and recovering thereposed member 25 is provided mid-way between from the valuable materials produced by such members 10 and 11 and parallel thereto'and is emulsion. I secured to lower cross members 20a to 23a inclu- 50.=; In describing the above, I have used the term sive and end members Ila-and 12.

water, but it is to be understood that this de- Suitable end uprights Z'land'ZS are secured bevice can be' used in conjunction with certain tween the upper and lower framework and at the chemical solutions in lieu of water where the other end of the device uprights29land 30 are peculiar process being carried. out warrants the provided similar to uprights2'7- and 28. Inter- 51 useof such chemical; composition. mediate uprights31, 32, 33, 3 4, and 36 are pro:

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken '15, i

vided spanning the distance between the outer longitudinally disposed members 10 and 11 respectively and the upper longitudinally disposed members 17 and 18 respectively.

Four pairs of cradle members are provided for supporting the cylindrical member, to be presently described. These cradle members are identical.

in structure and similar reference characters given to one set of cradle members applies to the whole structure. These cradle structures comprise angularly disposed members and 41 having their upper ends secured to one pair of uprights such as 32 and 33 and having their lower ends resting on longitudinally disposed member 25.

Piercing members 40 and 41 are pins 42 and 43 having flanged rollers 44 and 45 thereon. The other side of the cradle apparatus is composed of spaced members 47 and 48 having their lower ends secured to longitudinal member 25 and hav ing their upper ends secured to uprights between members 11 and 18 which uprights are identical to the uprights shown in the front elevation of Figure 1, such as 32 and 33 and which are designated in Figure 7 by reference character 49.

Disposed between members 47 and 48 are flanged rollers 50 and 51 mounted on pins 52 and 53. Suitable braces 54 and 55 may be secured between certain portions of the machine for strengthening the same; however, if the parts be welded together these braces will not be necessary. I

Rockably mounted on flanged rollers 44, 45, 50 and 51 is an elongated cylindrical member 56 which has its upper portion open and this member 56 may be made in one piece or in sections and joined together by rings 57 as well as having such rings 57 at each end thereof. These rings are adapted to rest on flanged rollers 44, 45,

50 and 51 and the flanges on said rollers prevent longitudinal movement of cylinder 56. Cylinder 56 has a plurality of angularly disposed vanes 59 therein and between each vane is a hole 60 penetrating cylinder 56. These holes are normally closed by a valve member comprising a disk of rubber or other material 61 resting on a metallic base 62 which is supported by a leaf spring 63 and metallic base 62 has a lip 64 which is adapted to be engaged at times by a tongue 65 on'arm 66 rigidly mounted on rod 67 passing thru the machine and mounted in suitable bearings 68 disposed Within trough 69 for catching gems, certain sands, gold and other heavy material which ma lodge in holes or pocket 60.

The end of rod 67 has secured thereon a lever 70 having a lip 71 engaging a rack 72 while adjusting the lever in position. In normal operation, lever 70 will be turned clock-wise in Figure 9 so as to cause arms 65 and their lips 65 to be out of the path of projections 64 when the cylinder 56 is rocking in its cradle members as above described.

One end of cylinder 56 is closed by disk 73 and has a flange 74 thereon which has integral therewith a spindle 75 penetrating bearing 76 mounted on cross member 77 and this spindle has a suitable bearing 78 on the end thereof with nut 79 securing the same in position so as to take care of some of the end play of cylinder'56 and prevent its moving longitudinally of the framework when either end is higher than the other end during operation of the machine. A flexible conduit such as a hose 80 penetrates disk 73 and has its other end connected to a hopper 81 secured on brace 82 into which material is fed for being passedthru the machine.

Lower end of trough 69 has laterally directed trough 83 associated therewith so that materials dumped from pocket formed by means of holes 60 and valves 61 may be directed into a suitable receptable not shown.

A suitable source of motive power such as a steam engine 90 is provided having a pulley 91 on which is mounted a belt 92 which passes over a pulley 93 secured on shaft 94 mounted in bear ing 95 secured on member 96 forming a part of cross pieces 21 and 22. Shaft 94 projects into a differential 97 having laterally projecting portions 98 and 99 which is similar in all respects to the diiferential of an automobile and. the axle housing and the portions 98 and 99 correspond to the axle housing, housing a shaft on the ends of which disks 100 and 101 are mounted. Dish 100 is connected by means of a suitable bolt 102 to a disk 103 fixed on shaft 104 mounted in bearings 105 and 106, having a sprocket 107 on the end thereof which has a sprocket chain 108 there on passing over a sprocket 199 mounted on a shaft 110 which is mounted in bearings 111 and 112 and has a crank 113 thereon to which is connected connecting rod 114 for driving a diaphragm pump 115, the structure of said pump not beingshown, it being conventional. From the lower ends of pump casing 115 extends a pipe 116 which leads to the other end of the mechanism and is connected to a hopper 117. A pipe 118 having a check valve 119 therein is connected to diaphragm casing 115 and leads into hopper 81, so that water is elevated thru pipes 116 and forced thru check valve 119 and pipe 118 into hopper 81 where the water mixes with the material being dumped into hopper 81.

Bearings 105 and 106 have integral therewith suitable downwardly and laterally extending brackets which are secured to cross pieces 19 or 20 as the case may be. The shaft housed within axle housings 98 and 99 is rotatably mounted in bearings 120 and 121 mounted on cross members 21 and 22 respectively.

Disk 101 has a pin 122 therein secured to disk 123 on shaft 124 which shaft 124 is mounted in bearings 125 and 126, said which is also shaft having a sprocket wheel 127 thereon and mounted on shaft 131 rotatably mounted in inember 132, said member 132 supporting a cylindrical casing 133 and in said casing 133' is mounted a spiralconveyer 134 having a bevel gear 135 on the upper end thereof meshin with bevel gear 136 fixed on shaft 131. Member 132 extends downwardly into container 160 and is supported at its lower end by means of cantilever beam 168 which beam 168 is connected to frame member 12 in any conventional manner. Cylindrical'casing 133 is supported by member 132 which in turn is braced by a piece of strap iron 137 secured to upright 30. Additional water from any convenient source may be introduced into cylindrical casing 133 thru pipe 138 having valve 139 therein.

Pin 192 has mounted thereon a connecting rod 140 and pin 122 has mounted thereon a connecting rod 141, connecting rods 140 and 141 being connected to arms 142 and'143 fixed on shaft 144 rotatably mounted in bearings 145 and V which the contents of bearings 147 and 148.- Fixedly secured. on shaft 1451 are downwardly projecting arms 149,150, 151

and 152. The lower ends of arms 149 to 152-inclusive have secured thereto connecting rods 153, 154, 155-and 156, the other ends of said connecting' rods being pivotally secured to projections 157 secured on rings 57.

A suitable container 160 is provided below the 162 having one side portion thereof lower than the other and a lip 163 for emptying the water or other liquid used in the process into funnel or hopper 117. The opening 161 is normally below the] liquid level maintained in container 160 as the normal liquid levelis regulated by height of the upper portion bent inwardly and downwardly asfat 164 and secured to the outside of container 160is a smaller container 165 having transversely disposed rods 166.

Secured to one of the ends of cradle structures carrying thefianged rollers are brackets 170 and 171 in which is mounted a transversely disposed rod 172 having sprockets 173 and 174 thereon,

' thereof transversely disposed rod 183v having deliver it into container 165 and transverse rods connecting rods 140 and 14:1 to'impart oscillatory V "an emulsion on the rod 172 having on one end thereof a bevel gear 175 meshing with a bevel gear 176 mounted on shaft 177 mounted in bearing member 178 and sprocket 179' is secured on shaft 177 and has a sprocket chain 186 mounted on said sprocket and said sprocket 128 ,on shaft 124 for imparting rotation to shaft 172. Extending upwardly from the I lower portion of container 160 are braces 181 and 182 having" rotatably mounted in the upper end sprocket wheels 184 and 185 thereon, said sprocket wheels and the sprocket wheels on shaft 172 receiving sprocket chains 186 and 187 and disposed on said sprocket chains are paddle members or vane'members preferably composed of flexible material such as rubber and indicated by reference character 183, the purpose of these vanes being to pass over the top of the liquid level in container 160 and Wipe thefoam therefrom and .166 aid in'removing the foam from the paddles or vanes 188. This foam is'caused by an emulsion of soap 'or any other suitable emulsifying agent introduced into the machine for forming top of liquid containedin container 160 so as to cause lighter material such as free gold and the like to be suspended in such emulsion and foam'and to be easily removed and deposited in container 165.

Container 165 has a spout 1650; under which a suitable container can be placed for receiving the material-deposited in container 165.

The method of operation of the apparatus is as follows: Q

Engine 90 is started in operation'which causes movementto shaft 144 which'thruarms 149 and 152 and connecting rods 153 to 156 imparts oscillatory or rocking motion to cylinder56 which has the vanes 59 therein. At the same time soil, comminuted earth, stone and the like are introduced into hopper 81 along with a suitable amount of water or. a chemicalsolution if desired, and this earthen material along with the solution is passed thru the apparatus and therocking motion imparted to cylinder 56 causes vanes 59 to aid in the separation of the elements of the material'as it passes thru the apparatus. In fact it has been found that good operation of the machine can be had while the discharge end of the rocking cylinder 5 6 is higher than the feed end of the cylinder, as the vanes 59 push the material including the 7 liquid through the cylinder 56. By adjusting the position of the discharge end of the cylinder 56 the rate of passage of the material and'liquid through the cylinder 56 is regulated. The heavier metals, gems, sand and the like will naturally of the'path of projections 64. The material and solution, whether it be water or chemical solution, as they pass from the. discharge end of the cylinders, 56, are deposited into container 160 and the wipers orvanes on sprocket chain 186 and 187 I wipe the foam off the top of liquid level of container 160 as a suitable emulsifying agent is placed in the container 160 or can be introduced thru hopper 81 if desired.

The surplus water or solution passes off thru opening 161 and overflows into hopper or funnel 117 and is returned thru pipe 116 and pump115 again into hopper 81. At such intervals as may be desired, engine 98 may be stopped and while cylinder 56 is in stationary upright position with holes 60 occupying the lowermost plane, lever 70 ismoved counterclockwise and lips 65 engage projection 64 and move members .61 away from contact with the cylinder surrounding hole 60 and the deposits'in said hole 68 are allowed to fall into trough '69 and this is carried out thru trough 83 into a suitable container. During operation of the machine additional fluid such as water or a chemical composition may be introduced into intervals to dump the contents contained within holes 60 andit is thus obvious that this device may be used not only at a fixed location by having the material conveyed thereto, but the device may be apparatus from time to time and in this way, great quantities of eroded soil from mountain and hillsides collecting in the valleys can be passed thru this machine to extract therefrom valuable minerals, gems and the like.

I In the drawings and specification there has beenset forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed,

. they. areiused in a generic and descriptive'sense only and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims. 7

I claim: 2

1. In an apparatus for separating heavier materials from lighter materials when the same are intermixed in a composition of matter, an elongated member having an intake portion and a discharge portion and also having a plurality of transversely and obliquely disposed vanes in the bottom portion thereof,'whose upper edges are closer'to the discharge portion than their bottom edges, said elongated member having a plurality of holes in the bottom portion thereof, means for normally closing said holes, means for feeding comminuted material accompanied by a liquid solution into the intake portion of said elongated moved down a valley and the surrounding earth -may be dumped into the apparatus by moving the t member, means for oscillating said elongated member about its longitudinal axis, and means for opening said closing means for said holes when said elongated member is in stationary position.

2. In a device for separating heavier materials from lighter materials when said materials are intermixed with each other, an elongatedhollow member and at least partially suspended in a fiuid, a plurality of transversely and obliquely disposed vanes in said member, said member having a plurality of holes therein, means for normally closing said holes, means for imparting transverse oscillatory movement to said elongated hollow member about its longitudinal axis, means for feeding material into the discharge end of said elongated hollow member, means for receiving the material passed thru said elongated member, the top of the vanes being nearer the discharge end of the hollow member than the intake end whereby the vanes will propel the material towards said discharge end.

3. Means for separating gold, gems, and heavier materials from soil, comminuted stone and the like, which comprises an elongated tubular memher having an intake end and a discharge end, means for rockably mounting said tubular member to rock or oscillate with its longitudinal axis as a center, a plurality of vanes in said tubular member angularly disposed with relation to the transverse axis of said tubular member, so that the upper edge of said vanes will be closer to the discharge end of the tubular member than the intake end whereby oscillation of the tubular member will cause said vanes to propel said coinminuted stone and the like towards the discharge end of said tubular member.

4.. Means for separating gold, gems, heavy sand and the like from earth, which comprises an agitating device having a plurality of transversely disposed vanes therein angularly disposed with relation to the transverse axis of said agitating device, means for imparting transverse oscillatory motion to said device, means for feeding earth and liquid to one end of said device,'the upper portions of said vanes projecting towards the discharge end of said agitating device whereby oscillation of the same will propel the liquid and earth towards the discharge end of the agitating device.

5. In an apparatus for washing soil to extract therefrom materials having a greater specific gravity than the mean specific gravity of the soil, comprising an elongated vessel having a receiving end and a discharge end, a plurality of transversely disposed vanes secured in said member,

said vane extending from the bottom of said vessel towards the discharge end of the vessel, and means for imparting transverse oscillatory movement to said member.

5. Means for separating metals, gems and the like from earth which comprises an elongated horizontally disposed hollow member having a plurality of holes in the bottom portion thereof, means for normally closing said holes, means for opening said closing means at will, means for receiving discharges from said holes, a plurality of vanes secured in the bottom of said hollow member, said vanes being at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said hollow member and extending towards the discharge end of the hollow member whereby transverse oscillatory motion of the hollow member will cause said vanes to push the material towards the discharge end of the hollow member, and means for imparting transverse oscillating motion to said hollow member.

7 Means for separating gold and the like from earth which comprises an elongated hollow member, a plurality of transversely disposed vanes mounted in said hollow member and extending upwardly and towards the discharge end of the hollow member, means for imparting transverse oscillatory motion to said hollow member, means for conducting earth and a liquid into one end of said hollow memben'the vanes, upon oscillation of the hollow member, serving to propel the material towards the discharge end of the hollow member. f r v 1 8. Means for washing gold, soil and the like which comprises an elongated tubular member having an intake portion and a discharge portion and having a plurality of transversely disposed vanes therein inclined with relation to the vertical, means for imparting transverse oscillatory motion to said tubular member about its longitudinal axis, the upper edges of said vanes being nearer the discharge portion than their lower edges to propel the contents of the tubular member towards the discharge end upon oscillation of the tubular member.

9. Means for recovering gold and other heavy materials from earth and the like comprising a framework, a circular trough member mounted in the framework, feeding material mixed with a fluid to one end of the trough, means for imparting transverse oscillatory movement to said trough member about its axis, a plurality of transversely disposed vanes in said trough member, said vanes being inclined with relation to the vertical upwardly towards the discharge end, the

action of said vanes upon oscillation-of said.

trough member being to propel the fluid and material through the trough member.

10. Means for recovering heavy matter from light matter such as the recovery of gold from soil and the like comprising a framework, a horizontally disposed tubular member mounted in said framework for transverse oscillation therein and having an intake portion and a discharge portion, means for imparting transverse oscillation to said tubular member, said tubular member having in the lower portion thereof a plurality of transversely disposed inclined vanes whose upper portions are nearer the discharge portion of the V tubular member than their bottom portions whereby upon oscillation of the tubular member the vanes will propel material fed into the intake portion towards the discharge end. i

11. Means for separating heavy materials from lighter materials whenthe materials are mixedwith a liquid comprising a transversely oscillatable elongated hollow member having an intake end and a discharge end, a plurality of transversely disposed inclined vanes in the lower portion of the hollow member having their upper 

